Me and Laurel and Gardens: Nature is a Better Nurturer

I am not a gardener. This will be obvious to anyone who knows me and has walked by my house or looked into my back yard. Oh, the perennials can look great -- sometimes. And those daylilies have their moment in the sun. I'm fond of the irises and thrilled when they burst forth. The swamp lilies that foliage now and spring up pink and stinky are always a wonder. I am really hopeful that the Purple Shadow aka ruella we planted will last the season and I'll remember to bring it in before the first frost. But it's likely that the expensive clematis we just planted next to our gate will wither and die (please don't send tips, really, it will be a waste of time!) And if I plant some annuals, well, they may or may not grow. It's not that I don't like pretty plants..I just don't have the patience to analyze soil, carefully plan, plant, fertilize and meticulously monitor each growth. I have Laurel friends who are incredible, and I love walking through their gardens. I'm envious of their talent -- and dedication.

But take me to the woods, and I'm a different person. At our cabin in West Virginia Ken & I just revel in the natural and beautiful wildflowers all around us. These hardy guys just do their own thing and each visit brings another crop of beauty. They grow where they can, blossom profusely and come back year after year. In their natural habitat we see that mother nature doesn't need a garden center to be fabulous. A shale barren nurtures birds feet iris and pretty yellow and purple flowers. The dogwoods shine forth like white veils in the almost leafed-out woods. The wild red columbine growing on the roadside rivals anything cultivated. In June the prickly pear will have astonishing yellow blossoms. Our WV yard was a mass of wild asters and the May apples are in flower everywhere. Even the humble paw paw has a subtle dark purple almost brown blossom that looks like a stub, until you look closely. And I didn't have to do anything but look. Me, I'll take my mother nature center rather than the garden center any day.